Posted: 4 weeks ago

Returning home to Houston, after our 11th Annual Family Reunion in the hills outside of Pittsburgh, in Upstate Pennsylvania, is wonderful but the experience and the trip to/from the Reunion was also wonderful. We were rewarded with 15 hours of American history on the way to Pennsylvania (1776 by McCullough) and 18 hours of Deception Point by Dan Brown on our return trip. The Dan Brown novel was one that held my interest so much that I drove the whole 23 hours that it took to drive the 1800 miles (18 hours of absurbed listerning and 5 hours for eating/stopping for gas).

EPILOGUE OF A FAMILY REUNION: WHEN THE LAST RELATIVE LEAVES AND THE LAST GAME IS PLAYED, THE LAST HUG IS EMBRACED AND THE LAST KISS IS WILLINGLY PRESENTED, THEN WE ALL TRAVEL BACK TO WHERE WE CALL HOME BUT THE IMAGES STILL LINGER. WHAT LASTS MOST VIVIDLY FOR ME IS NOT AN IMAGE THAT SETTLES IN THE MIND BUT ONE THAT ENCOMPASSES THE HEART. IT IS THE HUGS AND KISSES. WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU GO, AFTER NOT SEEING SOME RELATIVES FOR YEARS, AND BE GREETED WITH THE WARMEST, MOST GENUINE AND HEART-FELT HUG AND KISS FROM OLDER PEOPLE AND ALL THE CHILDREN? EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IT IS EXPECTED, THAT IT IS WELCOMED, AND THAT IT IS THOROUGHLY ENJOYED BY ALL.

IT TAKES BUT A MILLI-SECOND TO KNOW IF SOMEONE ACCEPTS OR REJECTS A HUG. IT TAKES LEAST TIME THAN THAT TO KNOW IF SOMEONE RESENTS A KISS ON THE CHEEK. AT OUR REUNIONS, YOU KNOW THAT ALL WISH IT AND THAT ALL WILL GIVE IT IN RETURN. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY; STARTING WHILE OUR PARENTS WERE STILL ALIVE AND CONTINUED NOW ELEVEN YEARS AFTER THAT FIRST REUNION.

I THINK THAT IT HAS MUCH TO DO WITH MY SISTER, ANITA, WHO GIVES SO MUCH, PLANS SO MUCH AND ENJOYS SO MUCH AT THESE REUNIONS. SHE HUGS THE WORLD AND GIVES SPECIAL HUGS AND KISSES TO THOSE CLOSEST TO HER; HER BROTHERS, HER CHILDREN, THEIR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES, AND THE CHILDREN OF THE CHILDREN. AS ONE RELATIVE SAID, “IF YOU GO TO THE REUNION, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YOU ARE NOT BASHFUL ABOUT SHOWING YOUR TRUE SELF AND GIVING LOVE TO ALL THOSE WHO ATTEND.

THE HUGS AND KISSES ARE THE OUTWARD SYMBOLS OF THIS LOVE BUT IT RUNS AS AN UNDERCURRENT TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY: WHETHER THAT IS SITTING TALKING AND DRINKING, PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN, HELPING TO COOK THE FEAST THAT WE ALL KNOW IS COMING (MORE IS ALWAYS MORE). I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WHO COMES OR PLANS THE REUNION THINKS THAT MORE IS LESS. THAT HAS NEVER BEEN HOW THE FAMILY, THE EXTENDED FAMILY AND THE FRIENDS THAT COME TO THE REUNION WITH FAMILY MEMBERS THINKS OF THEMSELVES INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY. WE ALL LIVE BIG AND LOUD AND WITH A SENSE OF JOY THAT IS CONTAGIOUS. THE HUGS AND KISSES SEEM TO BE THE WARMTH THAT COMES FORWARD WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN.

 I BELIEVE THAT I READ THAT THE AMERICAN INDIANS LIVED WITH THE IDEA THAT WHEN A FRIEND GOES OUT A DOOR TO THE WORLD, THEY ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN, AND THEREFORE WHEN THEY COME BACK IN THAT DOOR NO TIME HAS PASSED. IT IS THAT WAY AT THE REUNION. EACH YEAR WE ASSEMBLE AGAIN IN THE PENNSYLVANIA HILLS (WHERE COMMUNICATION WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT) AND THE DOOR IS OPENED AGAIN. WE ALL TRAVEL TO COME IN (WE DROVE FOR 24 HOURS FROM TEXAS; MY BROTHER ONLY 14 HOURS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA; FOUR HOURS FROM PITTSBURGH FOR MANY; AND ONE FLEW IN FROM A TRIP ABROAD) THAT SPECIAL EMOTIONAL DOOR OF LOVE AND NO TIME HAS PASSED.

 AT THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY MY MIDDLE BROTHER BOB DIED ONE DAY AT A CONSTRUCTION JOB WHILE HE WAS CARRYING A TWO BY FOUR. HE IS THERE. LONG BEFORE THE REUNIONS STARTED, MY SISTER ANITA’S HUSBAND DIED, AND HE TOO IS ALWAYS THERE. MY FATHER AND MOTHER ARE THERE TOO (NOT IN BODY OF COURSE BUT AS SPIRITS THAT LIVE IN THE STORIES, THE REMEMBRANCES AND THE DEEPLY FELT MYTHS THAT WE TELL ABOUT THEM TO THE GATHERINGS OF CHILDREN). AND NO TIME HAS PASSED.

AND WHEN WE DRIVE THAT DRIVE BACK TO OUR HOMES, DO WE TAKE WITH US SOME OF THESE REMEMBRANCES? THE ANSWER IS YES AND NO. ‘YES’, IT IS THE PARTING HUGS AND WARMTH OF KISSES THAT LINGER THE LONGEST AND BRING UP IMAGES OF THOSE WE HUGGED AND KISSED; AND ‘NO’, WE RESUME OUR LIVES (HOLDING THOSE HUGS AND KISSES IN A SECRET PLACE IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS). AND NO TIME HAS PASSED.

Posted: 4 weeks ago

Just decided: the RI President for 2012-13 will be from Japan:

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100810_news_ripresidentnominee2012-13.aspx

Posted: 4 weeks ago

Ryofu  For President  ! !